SEGGER has launched a software package intended to bring app-like flexibility to embedded systems, introducing a framework that allows small, sandboxed programs to be added to devices without altering core firmware.
Announcing the release of emApps in Monheim am Rhein, Founder Rolf Segger said the technology “brings the familiar flexibility of the smartphone to the world of embedded systems”, adding that the company has already deployed the approach in its J-Link and Flasher product lines.
emApps provides a development environment, compiler, and host-integration source code, alongside a PC-based executor for testing and profiling. SEGGER said the framework enables manufacturers, OEMs, and end customers to extend device functionality dynamically, while keeping firmware size and performance constraints under control.
Apps run on a virtual CPU designed in-house and operate in a fully isolated memory space, with illegal operations detected and contained. SEGGER said code size starts at under 100 bytes, with host integration requiring around 2.5 KB of memory, making the technology suitable even for compact microcontrollers. An assembly-optimised version for Arm processors is also available.
Dirk Akemann, SEGGER’s Head of Technical Marketing, said the company expects broader industry uptake. “We keep finding new use cases,” he noted. “I am convinced that we will see apps in many different types of embedded devices in the future.”
Because apps are defined by an API table in firmware, developers can control precisely which capabilities are exposed, and they may assign different rights to different apps. emApps supports simultaneous execution on multi-core or RTOS-based systems, and apps can act as libraries with multiple entry points, similar to DLLs. SEGGER emphasised that the model enables new features to be added in the field without destabilising validated core firmware.
SEGGER also highlighted its Flasher line of in-circuit programmers, used across service, prototyping, and high-volume manufacturing environments. The devices support a wide range of interfaces, including JTAG, SWD, (Q)SPI, I2C, and UART, and are supplied with cross-platform setup and control software. Updates to software and firmware are provided without additional charges.
Founded in 1992, SEGGER Microcontroller develops RTOS technologies, software libraries, debug probes, and a range of programming tools. Its emPower OS platform provides a full stack of embedded software components covering communication, security, storage, compression, and user-interface development.
The company maintains its headquarters in Monheim am Rhein, with operations in Boston, Silicon Valley, Shanghai, and the United Kingdom. SEGGER stresses that its software contains no open-source or attribution licensing obligations, a position it says appeals to customers seeking long-term supply stability in a cyclical industry.
